1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a string-attached cap in which one end of an elongated coupling member is connected to a cap.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a fuel tank of an automobile, a cap is, in general, connected to the fuel tank by means of an elongated coupling member to prevent the loss of the cap during re-fueling. As such string-attached caps, those disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publications No. Hei. 3-295723 and Sho. 62-173321 or the like are known.
FIG. 18 shows the string-attached cap disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei. 3-295723, and in this string-attached cap one end of a coupling member 3 is connected to a handle portion 5a of a cap 5 by means of a fixing member 1.
However, with such a conventional string-attached cap, since the coupling member 3 is connected to the handle portion 5a of the cap 5, there has been a problem in that the coupling member 3 obstructs the operation of turning the cap 5.
In addition, since the coupling member 3 is connected to the cap 5 by means of the fixing member 1, there has been a problem in that the number of component parts increases, requiring a large number of steps in assembly.
A string-attached cap disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,409 was developed to overcome these problems.
FIG. 19 shows this string-attached cap. This string-attached cap is arranged such that a coupling member 13, which is formed of flexible resin, has a ring part 13a formed integrally at one end thereof, and an engaging part 13b formed integrally with the inner periphery of the ring part 13a is rotatably engaged in an annular groove lid formed in the outer periphery of a cap 11.
With this string-attached cap, since the ring part 13a of the coupling member 13 is inserted and fitted in the annular groove 11d formed in the cap 11, the coupling member 13 does not constitute an obstruction when the cap 11 is turned while gripping a handle portion 11b.
In addition, when the cap 11 is inserted into the ring portion 13a of the coupling member 13, the engaging part 13b at the inner periphery of the ring part 13a is elastically deformed, and if the cap 11 in this state is inserted up to the annular groove 11d, the engaging part 13b is restored to its original state and is engaged in the annular groove 11d, so that the number of assembling steps can be substantially reduced as compared with the conventional art.
However, with the string-attached cap in the above-described document, at the time of removing the cap from the fuel tank, there has been the risk of occurrence of spark discharge as static electricity charged in the human body is discharged through fingers and the like which came into contact with the cap.